Re: The "stupid" masses

From: Kennita Watson (kwatson@netcom.com)
Date: Tue Dec 31 1996 - 18:45:23 MST


>> In what way is biological warfare not coercive?
>
>It does, as you mentioned, violate property rights. But it is not
>coercive. It's not a matter of "do what I say or I'll destroy your
>coke." Nobody is making threats.

Good point. I think that libertarians tend to conflate the concepts
of coercion and theft, probably because of taxation, which is both.
However, that destroying the property of others without a prior threat
is not coercive makes it no more acceptable.

>coercive force of the current War on Drugs - "stop selling or we'll blow
>your head off."

Certainly if anybody found out that you had destroyed their coca crop,
they would blow _your_ head off, and the law, technology, and all the
transhumans in the world wouldn't be able to save you. (And if they
didn't get you, the CIA would :-) ).

It occurred to me that the US isn't waging a War on Drugs -- it's
waging a Vietnam on Drugs. No wonder they're not winning.

Kennita

Kennita Watson | The bond that links your true family is not one of blood,
kwatson@netcom.com| but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do
                  | members of the same family grow up under the same roof.
                  | -- Richard Bach, _Illusions_



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